Introduction
Based on my reading of the assignment, I selected a ballad poem ‘La belle dame sans merci,’ written by John Keats who is one of the most sensuous poets amidst the romantics. A ballad is a narrative or a lyrical poem which talks about the supernatural, mythology, legends or documents tribal wars and oral lore. In this poem, Keats has been faithful to a narrative ballad where the supernatural elements and the characters are in place. The romantic element along with mystery and intrigue adds to the atmosphere of anticipation and a haunting quality. This poem, on the one hand, has elements of multiple layers such as being simple and non-judgmental with minimalistic details and focuses on one event. On the other hand, it juxtaposes the real and supernatural elements. In this poem, Keats seems to have been deliberate in his ambiguity of setting and characterization, without mentioning any names or locations. The purpose behind this is just to keep the ‘wild’ spirit intact. This poem has a classical ‘femme-fatale’ theme where the woman lures a man to his destruction. He has been faithful to the techniques of the ballad and narrative theme and the poet is a quintessential lyrical ballad.
Body
The conventions of the ballad, being a story of the days of yore, is credibly established with the Knight-at-arms moving around in a woebegone manner of a weary, lonely traveler, probably beleaguered by the number of battles that he had faced. And, this is bitter and bone weary. In this 19th century ballad, though this poem is a lyrical piece, the poet doesn’t seem to place a lot of value for music. So, it cannot be sung to music. This could be one of the prime variations from a classic ballad, meant to be sung by the traveler who not only makes a living of it but also carries history from one village to another.
Supporting Paragraphs
The second deviation could be its not being an actual event but a reconnaissance of something that has happened. Here, the flash-back technique is used where the Knight seems to dream about past conquerors and their fate. According to John Keats (1819), “I saw pale kings and princes too, Pale warriors, death-pale were they all;”
The power of the poet is visible in this technique where the reader does not know if the dream is real, or the Knight himself is a figment of imagination!
The vagaries are very carefully delineated where Keats does not specify who the speaker is. It could be an anonymous speaker or the Knight’s mind voice or the poet rendering it as a third person. All this absence of detailing clearly confirms to the mysticism and elusiveness which the poet wants to encapsulate.
The poem definitely has a beginning, middle and an end which is true to its narrative form. Further, it has a protagonist who is a romantic figure whose dilemmas and outcomes are portrayed faithfully by the poet. The introduction of the lady is simple and powerful through these effective lines, where he captures her as an ethereal spirit.
According to John Keats (1819), “Full beautiful—a fairy’s child, her hair was long, her foot was light, and her eyes were wild.”
The enchanting beauty’s enticement is complete when the besotted Knight for lack of any jewels offers her the next best gift that he could think of, to honor his love for the lady. According to John Keats (1819), “I made a garland for her head, And bracelets too, and fragrant zone;”
His blind love seems to make him imagine her to be the crown princess, a connotation of garland for her head, like a floral crown. The poem is actually rich with all kinds of connotations. Although the Knight is sure of his love he seems to have insecurities about this fascinating woman’s reciprocation.
According to John Keats (1819), “She look’d at me as she did love,”
It is apparent that he possibly doubts the sincerity of the lady’s love for him.
The desolation of the knight is beautifully brought about by the ambiance surrounding him. It is almost like ‘pathetic fallacy’ where nature seems to reflect the mood of the woe-bygone Knight. Many words in the poem are actually indicative of this feeling.
According to John Keats (1819), “The squirrel’s granary is full, And the harvest’s done.”
These lines indicate that the winter has set in and the granaries are filled in anticipation of the onslaught of cold. Also, the squirrel here is a personification of human chores of getting prepared for winter. According to John Keats (1819), “The sedge has wither’d from the lake, And no birds sing.”
The grass withering and the birds having migrated to warmer places are further emphasis that the coldness and bitterness is both in the external atmosphere as well as in the Knight’s mind where he dreams of other vanquished warriors who were lured into the’ elfin-grot’, to meet the same fate as is destined for him, which is possible death at the hands of the ethereal dame.
The poet uses plenty of metaphors to add aesthetic beauty to the poem.
According to John Keats (1819), “I see a lily on thy brow, With anguish moist and fever dew,
And on thy cheeks a fading rose, Fast withereth too.”
Here, “lily” signifies death and “rose” signifies love in the western philosophy. So, the poet uses it also as a metaphor to describe the love of the Knight going waste by pointing out his paleness and whiteness. While rose signifies the state of good health, lily-white signifies wanes and death.
The supernatural element is further described by the strange language and behavior of the lady. According to John Keats (1819), “And sure in language strange she said—
“I love thee true.” “She took me to her elfin grot,”
The final warning comes to him when he hears them tell him that she has him in her ‘thrall’ and he is now a lost soul with no will to live. The quiet, the lull, and the elfin grotto are all indicative of the ambiance being suspicious and eerie. A haunting sequence is narrated because of the chilling atmosphere created.
Thus there is an abstract language of granary and sedge and the concrete language of pale and withering used very well. “Lulled” could be considered as onomatopoeia: a word whose sounds seem to duplicate the sound of sleep.
Conclusion
In the light of the aforesaid facts, interpretation, and analysis of this poem, it can be said that the Knight seems to be in the firm clutches of a woman who has no pity and he has to pay a price for being enamored by her. The poem is rich in language with thick layers of metaphorical usage. So, I take this opportunity to appreciate it because of its usage of literary devices as well as the presence of the touch of the ancient intrigue and modern cynicism. Further, the poet has captured the essence of a ballad through the various language and poetic devices that he has handled expertly using metaphors, personification, symbolism, imagery, and a combination of both literary and figurative illustrations. One could say that this is Keats’s vintage poem on aesthetics and his finer sensibilities.
References
1. Stephanie (2011). Keats Kingdoms. Retrieved from http://www.keatsian.co.uk/revision_notes_belle.htm
2. Shmoop Editorial Team. (2008, November 11). La Belle Dame Sans Merci Analysis. Retrieved March 27, 2012, from http://www.shmoop.com/la-belle-dame-sans-merci/analysis.html
